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Two players earned induction with the 1978 Hall of Fame voting for the Central American Baseball Association. They took very different paths to earn their spot with LF Vincente Gutierrez being a slam dunk first ballot guy at 99.3%. SP/DH Yennier Rey meanwhile just barely got across the 66% threshold on his fourth attempt, earning the nod at 66.4%. Also above 50% were RF Juan Jose at 59.2% on his fourth attempt, 3B Diego Sierra at 56.4% in his ninth, and CF Santiago Perez at 54.0% in his debut. There were no players dropped after ten ballots in the 1978 CABA group.



Vincente Gutierrez – Left Field – Tijuana Toros – 99.3% First Ballot

Vincente Gutierrez was a 5’10’’, 195 pound left-handed left fielder from Ixtaczoquitlan, a municipality of around 74,000 people located about four hours east of Mexico City. He was one of Mexico’s most feared power hitters, averaging more than 40+ home runs per year and hitting 50+ seven times. Gutierrez had solid contact and was also excellent at both drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts, making him one of the most efficient hitters of the era. He was a slow baserunner though and didn’t get many doubles despite his notable power. Gutierrez was a career left fielder and was a below average defender, although not atrocious. He was also considered a prankster and a great leader, making him beloved by teammates and fans alike.

Gutierrez was a rare CABA high school draft pick, selected 25^th overall in the 1951 CABA Draft by Mexicali. Most don’t realize he actually was employed by two franchise before his signature run in Tijuana. He spent a half-year on the Maroons’ reserve roster before being traded in the summer of 1952 to Juarez. Then in the summer of 1953, the Jesters traded him to Tijuana, the squad he’d play every pro game of his career with. Gutierrez finally debuted at age 21 with limited action in 1954.

He struggled with strikeouts in his first two full seasons, but still provided seasons of 4.8 and 4.9 WAR. He showed improvement in 1957 despite missing a month with back spasms. It was 1958 that Gutierrez became a star, smacking 53 home runs and 129 RBI with a 1.094 OPS and 9.8 WAR. This got him his first of ten Silver Sluggers and a third place finish in MVP voting. The Toros were quick to lock him up, signing Gutierrez to an eight-year, $565,400 contract extension that summer.

Gutierrez won additional Silver Sluggers in 1959, then 1962 through 1969. He led the Mexican League in runs scored thrice, home runs seven times, RBI five times, walks 12 times, OBP six times, slugging six times, OPS six times, wRC+ six times, and WAR twice. He’d really find his rhythm in his 30s, winning his first MVP at age 30 in 1963. Gutierrez won the MVP again in 1964, 65, 68, and 69. He’d take second in 1959 and 1962. On top of being a feared hitter in the Mexican League, Gutierrez played for Mexico in the World Baseball Championship and helped win a title in 1963. From 1956-72, he had 129 games and 109 starts, 93 hits, 82 runs, 43 home runs, 96 RBI, and 5.6 WAR.

Despite his efforts, Tijuana was typically a middle-tier team in his run, often just above .500. They made the playoffs four times in his tenure (1959, 1964, 1969, 1971) although the Toros never took a league title. In 25 playoff games, Gutierrez had 29 hits, 13 runs, 3 home runs, and 9 RBI. He had nine seasons worth 8+ WAR and four worth 10+ WAR, including back-to-back 10+ WAR seasons from 1968-69 in his mid 30s.

The fans kept coming to see Gutierrez and his #21 uniform would quickly get retired. In his final seasons, the focus was chasing milestones. He was the second CABA batter to 700 career home runs and had a chance to catch Prometheo Garcia’s CABA career mark of 753. Gutierrez dropped off a bit in his last year and ended up at 734. He was moved to a backup role near the end of the season and decided to retire after the 1972 campaign at age 40. At retirement, he was second in CABA HRs, fourth in runs scored, sixth in hits, third in RBI, second in walks drawn, and sixth in batting WAR.

Gutierrez’s final stats: 2726 hits, 1606 runs, 301 doubles, 734 home runs, 1754 RBI, 1286 walks to only 815 strikeouts, a .309/.396/.600 slash, wRC+ of 193, and 129.0 WAR. He was the sixth player in CABA history to win five or more MVP awards. Gutierrez was one of the most dangerous hitters of the 1950s-60s and an easy first ballot addition to the CABA Hall of Fame, getting 99.3%.



Yennier “Mr. Reliable” Rey – Starting Pitcher/Designated Hitter – Nicaragua Navigators – 66.4% Fourth Ballot

Yennier Rey was a 5’10’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. On the mound, Rey wasn’t considered to be outstanding at anything, but consistently above average across the board. He had 94-96 mph peak velocity with a splitter, cutter, circle change, and knuckle curve arsenal. What made him unique was that he was also a very good and well-rounded hitter. Rey never started a single game in the field, but was a regular designated hitter when he wasn’t pitching. Although best known as a pitcher, Rey was probably a more efficient hitter in the grand scheme with a career wRC+ of 147 compared to only a career ERA+ of 109. He was an incredibly hard worker and intelligent player, leading to a very unique career. Rey was also incredible durable, avoiding the injuries that often plagued other notable two-way guys.

Rey was picked 21^st overall in the 1955 CABA Draft by Nicaragua. He was only a part time member of the rotation in his first two years, but became a full-time member after. He had 100+ games in all but his first year with the Navigators as well. They were a bottom-tier team and Rey never got to see the postseason, but he put up very solid combined totals. In seven years as a pitcher for Nicaragua, he had a 3.51 ERA and 86-83 record, 1537.1 innings, 1194 strikeouts, and 23.2 WAR. At the plate, he had 852 hits, 411 runs, 164 home runs, 480 RBI, a .316/.349/.572 slash and 25.6 WAR. His 1962 season had an impressive offensive pace in 100 games with a .386/.409/.684 slash, 6.0 WAR, 25 home runs, and 78 RBI.

The combined efforts earned him some MVP attention, finishing second in 1958, third in 1960, third in 1962, and second in 1964. His pitching stats were never more than above average though so he never had Pitcher of the Year considerations. At the plate, he never had a full enough stat-line to get a Silver Slugger at DH, as the award wasn’t available to pitchers in the DH’d Caribbean League. His lone Silver Slugger came at pitcher in 1963 with Tijuana, where he only saw at-bats as a pinch hitter since the DH wasn’t an option in the Mexican League.

He spent one year with the Toros as Nicaragua traded him there before the 1963 season. Rey then signed for the 1964 season to a five-year, $650,000 contract with Puerto Rico. He spent four years as a Pelican, posting a 67-43 record as a pitcher, 3.29 ERA, 1090.1 innings, 932 strikeouts and 17.9 WAR. As a hitter, Rey had 357 hits, 190 runs, 66 home runs, 204 RBI, a .292/.333/.506 slash and 8.1 WAR. Rey also played for his native Honduras in the World Baseball Championship from 1958-68, pretty much exclusively as a pitcher. He posted a 3.29 ERA in 17 starts with 115 innings, 126 strikeouts, and 2.0 WAR.

Rey’s last year with Puerto Rico saw his most innings on the mound with 18 complete games, but his offensive numbers and use had started to wane. The Pelicans traded him just before the 1968 season to Mexico City, who were just starting their dynasty run. He saw very limited use as he couldn’t crack the loaded starting lineup. The Aztecs won the Mexican League that year, but Rey wasn’t used in the postseason and ultimately never pitched a playoff game in his career. His only playoff experience was four games hitting for Puerto Rico in 1964. Rey struggled on the mound the next year in limited action with Queretaro and opted to retire after the 1969 season at age 37.

Rey’s final pitching stats: 176-144 record, 3.44 ERA, 3006.2 innings, 2377 strikeouts to 604 walks, 240 quality starts, a FIP- of 96, and 44.8 WAR. On just pitching stats, he’s definitely a “Hall of Above Average” type guy. As a batter, he added 1272 hits, 630 runs, 246 home runs, 718 RBI, a .308/.344/.552 slash, wRC+ of 147 and 35.7 WAR. Even together, an 80.5 WAR wasn’t a lock and Rey also spent his career stuck on forgettable teams. Had he focused exclusively on hitting and learned a position, Rey may have pulled off a HOF-level batting career. He presented a very unique case to the voters and Rey’s first three ballots kept him right around 57-58%. On his fourth try, enough swung towards him to barely pass the 66% threshold at 66.4%.